Family cultural capital and academic achievement: the mediating roles of habitus and field

TL;DR

This study shows how family cultural resources affect Chinese college students' academic success through personal habits and school environments, not directly.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated framework linking family cultural capital, habitus, and field in the Chinese higher education context.

Findings

Family cultural capital has a negative direct effect on academic performance.

Adaptive habitus and school field alignment mediate the positive indirect effects of family cultural capital.

Contextual factors like Confucian expectations and institutional environments shape these relationships.

Abstract

Based on Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, this study examines the mechanisms through which family cultural capital influences academic achievement among Chinese college students. While existing research has often fragmented the interplay between capital, habitus, and field, this study integrates these elements into a coherent analytical framework: family cultural capital → habitus → field → academic performance. By addressing gaps in contextualized and integrated analyses, this research explores how familial resources are internalized and transformed within educational settings, with a focus on the unique socio-cultural context of Chinese higher education.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 2,929 students from 12 Chinese higher education institutions, selected through stratified and convenience sampling. Data were collected via a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire measuring family cultural capital, individual habitus, school field, and self-reported academic performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap mediation analysis were employed to test the hypothesized chain mediation model.

The direct effect of family cultural capital on academic performance was significantly negative (β = –0.226, p < 0.001). However, significant positive indirect effects emerged through the mediating roles of habitus (β = 0.368, 95% CI [0.284, 0.470]) and school field (β = 0.084, 95% CI [0.038, 0.146]). More importantly, the sequential mediating effect of family cultural capital on academic performance, sequentially through habitus and field, is statistically significant (β = 0.087, 95% CI [0.044, 0.140]).

The findings indicate that, within the Chinese context, family cultural capital does not directly enhance academic performance. Instead, its benefits are realized indirectly through the development of adaptive habitus and alignment with school field dynamics. This aligns with Bourdieu’s emphasis on field-specific capital valuation and highlights the importance of contextual factors, such as Confucian-influenced parental expectations and institutional environments. The study underscores the need for educational policies that foster habitus development and field integration to mitigate inequities.

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